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Campus police weeds out alcohol and drug violators

March 14, 2007

When people think of Seton Hill University (SHU), it might be a safe bet that the last thing on their minds are problems with drugs. Many responses are along the lines of, �But it’s a Catholic university.�
Catholic or not, SHU is a college, a place of young adults with newly discovered freedom. That allows students to make their own choices and consequences are often not considered an issue. Living at college is a new means of freedom for young adults.
Many times, individuals abuse that privilege, by breaking laws and regulations. One of the common regulations broken is doing any kind of drug. Not only is it against mom and dad’s rules at home – it is also illegal in the United States.

By Tiffany Gilbert,
Center Spread Editor
When people think of Seton Hill University (SHU), it might be a safe bet that the last thing on their minds are problems with drugs. Many responses are along the lines of, �But it’s a Catholic university.�
Catholic or not, SHU is a college, a place of young adults with newly discovered freedom. That allows students to make their own choices and consequences are often not considered an issue. Living at college is a new means of freedom for young adults.
Many times, individuals abuse that privilege, by breaking laws and regulations. One of the common regulations broken is doing any kind of drug. Not only is it against mom and dad’s rules at home – it is also illegal in the United States.
Regardless, there are those few who want to rebel and �get it out of their systems� while they�re still young. College is the �right� place to do so.
Offenders be warned – do not think that people do not know about it. While not many students would snitch on violators, there are those who will talk about what a problem drug usage is.
According to Kyra Vinck, a sophomore, �Drug abuse makes kids who don’tknow what they want more stupid.�
Whether drug use is believed to be an act of stupidity or entertainment, it is illegal regardless.
�The heaviest drug we have ever found on campus is marijuana,� said Mike Dell, chief of campus police.
�We don’tfind drugs frequently on campus, however, there are calls often made. We respond to many calls but most of the time, it turns out that someone thinks they may have smelled a drug,� said Dell.
Many students believe that drugs are not as big of a problem as alcohol.
Jordan House, a freshman, said, �I don’tthink marijuana is a major problem, it’s the alcohol that’s the problem on campus.
Anna Mulfinger, a freshman, agreed, �Alcohol is a more pressing issue.�
Many students do agree that alcohol is more of a problem than marijuana, cocaine, heroin, etc.
�Marijuana seems to scare most kids away because it is illegal in general. As for alcohol it’s only illegal to those under 21 years of age,� House said.
Alcohol may seem to be the bigger issue on campus, but marijuana and other drugs still exist.
�When a form of drug is found on campus and depending on the amount, the first offense is a written report which is sent to the dean of students and typically the student handbook is followed for punishment,� Dell said.
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